The Wilmingtonian., 1887-03-26
A Registration Law.

There has Deen no election In this city
either primary or general for the last dozen
years in whicn pubic opinion has had an
to express itself cleanly aud uu-
tlnctured by the notifications and influences
by the lowest grade Of rlngsters
and piaoehuuters. For the time stated there
has been no clean, pure vote cast recording
the straight wish Of the people.
It has demonstrated that dozen or fifteen
unprlncipled men can nullny the popular
will, This they can do aud do do. What We
need is Registry Law.
During the last sherffalty election we all
remember what farce aud trsvesty upon
the election laws and constitutional rights
was the outrageous action of those parties
who held back the returns of the third, tenth
aud eleventh wards. Through what was
done upon that occasion hundreds Of votes
were nullfitd Is this outrage to be repeat
cd again2 Ia it not the duty of the Legisa-
ture to make provision against the pusslbll-
ityof such disgraceiul annals, The only protec-
ton possible is in thepr,jeot Of demanding a
general city registration law.
Az matters exist now, just at tie moment
when e,tizens are awakening to the idea OF
the need of having respectable sterling citi'
zens in office we are told that no good citi
zen will allow his name to be put for
yaId az he knows that even if he did get q
majority oil the actual legal votes In exis
tenee he is not even then sure of election. /
is a matter of notorety that in some ward
at the date of the. receut election re-
ferred to there were more votes deposited
than the total number Of men, woman, ant
children in those wards.
A respectable candidate would not stool
to the low mean trickery which is now abSu
lutely necessary to make use Of in order t
gain succ IS. The dsgFaceful electoral trio
which is now looked upon as legitimate cleo
tion strategy is to hold back certain district
or wards until sufficient number of the oy
, ponents' votes are known and then to max
> up the necessary complement to ensure SUI
cess by the exaggerated returns of thos
. held back.
. If the Legislature will give us a Registr
I tion Law the people are quite rtAdy to tai
G care of every public department of city bus
ness. All we need is an opportunity of ha
% ing our votes go for what they are wort
=. uu,nterfered with by needs of ringmen al
0. wire-pullers.
70 There should be the most uncomprom
t. ingly emphatic legislation upon this poil
b. Nothing less than the EXTREMIST punishmc
for infraction of election laws should be I
i'd Grated, and those elections laws should
be 40 clear and unmistakable that no opportt
ct ity be possible of escaping punishment WI
is fraud is detected.
in Again as things are now no bad of
,le holder can be evicted. He is SO fent
ng around and fe-guarded that he can 81
his fingers at the outraged citizen. Heca
We nsught for complaints. Even when elect
les time comes around aud the foolishly col
sts dent private citizen considers that now
time has arrived for expelliug this rasci
ire official! oh foolish citizen, how little !
,ed know with what facility that man candeI
be sit two votes to your one. Thus be lau
ket at your threats and disfranchises you at
not same time. This is what been done
t it what will most undoubtedly be repes
ON next election day.
To talk of any man boing elected f
the office, however disreputable may have I
ges the pra actioes which secured said effice, is
lble sheerest nonsense.
An hoasst ballot is the corner stOu